New Beginnings
by xDoubleIndemnity
Summary: 'Bellatrix, however, is strangely quiet; she is staring at the bundle in her arms with a strange mixture of confusion and affection, as if she didn't know how it had gotten there, but felt a fondness for it, all the same.' / Or, AU: Rodolphus and Bellatrix have twins.


_Disclaimer_: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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"_There's a powerful sense of transition and new beginning, and yet fear as well. It's a fear closely attached to the question, 'What do I do with this thing?' It's a healthy fear born out of an awareness of the fragility of new life." – Chris Seidman_

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It doesn't seem to matter that it is _his_ wife giving birth, as Rodolphus paces anxiously outside the room, concerned but not allowed inside. Narcissa and the Healer have been assisting Bellatrix for the past nine hours, and since his wife hasn't stopped shrieking and cursing yet, he assumes that the ordeal is still not over. Speaking of which, after hearing some of the invectives that Bellatrix had used, most of them directed at him, part of him is glad that he isn't inside. But he still wants to know how his wife is doing; instead, there is Narcissa, who comes out from time to time to announce that Bellatrix is doing well.

The next time Narcissa darts out of the birthing room, Rodolphus catches her before she can leave again. "Are you _sure_ everything is alright? It's already been nine hours. And all that screaming; that can't possibly be normal…"

With her most assuring tone, Narcissa says, "She's fine, Rodolphus. It just takes longer, the first time around." A smile spreads across her face as she adds, "And the screaming, well, you know Bella; she always makes such a huge fuss about everything. But I'll let her know that you're worried about her." Before he can say anything else, even protest such a suicidal comment (he can already imagine what Bellatrix will say in response; that _she_ is doing all the work while all _he_ is doing is frigging _worrying)_, Narcissa has already scurried inside.

With nothing left to do, Rodolphus resumes his pacing. An half an hour later, the door opens again, and Narcissa appears, practically bouncing with her excitement. She exclaims, "Oh Merlin! Rodolphus, she's done it!"

Before she can say anything else, he is already at her side. The worry is evident in his voice as he asks, "She's fine? And what about the child?"

Narcissa quickly nods, "Everything went perfectly well." Then, a mischievous smile spreads across her features, as if she knows something that he doesn't (which she does, much to his annoyance). Taking on a solemn tone, she announces, "Congratulations, you and Bella have yourselves a fine son." Before he can react in any way to this joyous news, she adds softly, in something that sounds suspiciously like a chirp, "And a fine daughter as well."

An expression of disbelief appears on his face. 'You mean that Bella…she had…"

Narcissa nods again, and she responds, "Twins." Then, in a manner that is an exact replica of Bellatrix's, she crows, "Oh, they're both as healthy as newborns can be. And they're both _so_ beautiful, Rodolphus."

He smirks slightly, and with a hint of arrogance, replies, "Of course they're beautiful. Bella and I always knew that our children would be." This statement, though it probably sounded somewhat boastful, was true. With the patented good looks from both their families, their children just could not go wrong. And they had not bothered discussing how their children would look, because that would have been redundant; their children would be dark-haired and dark-eyed, no matter what.

Abruptly, Rodolphus decides that he'd better stop such musings, but when he makes a move to slip past Narcissa, she stops him. "Wait, you can't go in yet. I'll go help Bella get cleaned up, and then you can go see her." Before he can protest, she has gone to rejoin her sister, and once again, he is left outside.

He is frustrated by this, but he cannot keep himself from smiling at what he has just learned. _A son and daughter. His son and daughter._ At that thought, he settles back in an armchair for the first time in hours, noticeably calmer than before. _Perhaps, this waiting isn't such a horrible thing, after all._

By the time that Rodolphus is allowed into the room, Bellatrix has been cleaned up, and she is currently sitting up in the bed, propped up with pillows while cradling one of the babies. Narcissa sits on the side of the bed, holding the other child in her arms, cooing expertly at the babe. Bellatrix, however, is strangely quiet; she is staring at the bundle in her arms with a strange mixture of confusion and affection, as if she didn't know how it had gotten there, but felt a fondness for it, all the same.

Narcissa finally notices him, and beckons him over. She immediately places the baby in his arms. Almost speechless with pride and excitement, Rodolphus only manages to choke out, "Is this…?"

Grinning widely, Narcissa chirps, "Your daughter. Bella's holding your son." With a knowing look at the first-time parents before her, she adds, "I'll leave you two alone now, alright? Call me if you need anything." She slips through the door, closing it soundlessly behind her.

Rodolphus takes the newly vacated spot on Bellatrix's bed, careful not to jar his wife. For the first time since he has entered the room, she looks at him, as if she has just realized he was there; she shifts her grip to give him a better view of their son.

For several moments, there is utter silence in the room, as both parents seem to think that any sort of clamor would, somehow, harm the children; chances are, it would just wake them, but neither of them wanted that either. Finally, Rodolphus decides to speak first. "How about the names?"

With any other parents, choosing baby names would not have been a hard task. However with them, it had been; they had argued endlessly over what to name their child for the past several weeks. Bella (obviously) wanted to continue the Black family tradition by naming after stars and constellations, while he wanted to continue his family's by choosing names that began with the letter "R." Eventually, they agreed to follow both family traditions, but that had just brought about a different problem – the actual naming. By agreeing to follow both traditions, they had contemplated some names that Bella had immediately refused to use, because she thought it would be considered child abuse (she was probably right, now that he thinks about it). In the end, after many, many hours of discussion, they had _finally_ made their decision.

Bella nods, and with the gentlest expression that Rodolphus has even seen on her, looks at their son, stroking his cheek with a light finger. "Then I suppose this is…"

"Rigel Arcturus Lestrange," he declares.

Bellatrix looks at him sharply, and in her most persuasive tone, she insists, "_Black-_Lestrange." The determination on her face tells him that he probably will not win this argument, no matter how hard he might try, or how tired his wife might be.

He shrugs, and says, "Black-Lestrange, then." The Blacks needed an heir as much as the Lestranges did, and he feels no need to deny Bellatrix such little things that would leave her so undeniably happy.

The satisfaction evident on her face, Bellatrix turns to their daughter next, and announces, "And this is Rhiannon Alcyone."

He nods at this, but his mind is no longer on their children's names. For him, everything has just started to completely sink in. They had just become _parents._ After years of wistful hoping and unsuccessful trying, they had given up, but now…they had this.

"It's perfect." Bella mutters out of nowhere, and he looks at her with a touch of concern. It seems like her lack of sleep is finally catching up to her, and to her coherency as well. He has no idea what she is referring to. But he nods all the same, and echoes her, "It's perfect."

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_Author's Note(s):_ And here's information about the names (which I actually had chosen months ago, LOL): _Rigel [Rye-jel] – "foot", the brightest star in the constellation Orion; Arcturus [Ark-toor-us] – "the bear guardian", the brightest star in the constellation Boötes; Rhiannon [Ree-ann-on] – "nymph, goddess", in Welsh, associated with the constellation Corona Borealis; Alcyone [Al-sy-uh-nee] – "kingfisher", the brightest star in the Pleiades, in the constellation Taurus._

Please R&R!


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